


Road Trip

by DominicKnight



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-14
Packaged: 2017-12-29 11:30:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1004909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DominicKnight/pseuds/DominicKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Maggie have to travel through his home town on the way to film an interview for the show and his family is insistent that they stay the night- an evening of embarrassing Jim and trying to couple them up ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Road Trip

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a guest writer on the tumblr account, thenewsroomprompts. So this was my response to a prompt. Enjoy.

“We could’ve flown to DC.” Maggie looked at Jim from the passenger seat. They had been off 95 for about ten minutes as he drove through Wilmington.

“We could have. But who would want to turn down free lodging?” Jim turns down Lovering Ave and after another few minutes pulls up to the curb of a house. “It’s only one night.”

“I thought you had turned down your family,” Maggie said, eying him.

“I mentioned we were driving through and they insisted.” They stared at each other in the dim dome light of the civic. “They’re my family. I couldn’t say no.”

“One night and then tomorrow DC for the interview.” Maggie was reasoning with herself out loud for a moment before she started to get out of the car.

Jim climbed out and gallantly took Maggie’s bag with his own as they disembarked the car and headed up the front steps. He barely managed to knock on the door before it was thrown open and someone had their arms around his neck.

“Hey, Jenna,” he said, giving her a one handed hug as best he could with a bag in each hand.

She released him and stepped back to let him and Maggie in. “Oh! You’re Maggie! We’ve heard a lot about you—“

Jim immediately cut her off. “Yes! You’ve heard that Maggie is dedicated and a great associate producer,” Jim said quickly. He nodded with a glance between Maggie and his sister. “Jenna, Maggie. Maggie, my sister, Jenna.”

“Nice to meet you. I sort of knew Jim had a sister. He doesn’t share much,” Maggie said, smiling to the older Harper as they shook hands.

“I’m the one that called him about the rig,” Jenna said, throwing her arm around Jim’s neck.

Maggie nodded as Jenna continued to talk about her work with Deepwater Horizon. She couldn’t help but notice Jim sigh and look like he wanted to disappear.

“I didn’t know you’d be here, Jenna.” Jim managed to break her rambling as he pulled away from his older sister.

“Mom’s got a full house,” Jenna reached over and ruffled Jim’s hair.

“I was going to put Maggie in your room. Where’s she going now?” Jim had stepped over towards the staircase.

“Mom put her in with you.” Jenna shrugged. Jim stared at his sister like she had grown another head.

“It’s okay. I’ll take the couch,” Maggie said, pointing behind her sensing tension.

“I’ll take the couch. You can have my room,” Jim said, gesturing to the stairs. “Come on.”

She went over to him and they started up the stairs. “The couch is fine, Jim. Just give me the tour of your childhood home.” Maggie caught sight of the photos hanging along the staircase and made a mental note to examine them later. They reached the top and Jim nodded to the hallway.

“Take my room,” he insisted and led her down the hallway. “Jenna is here, first door on the right. I’m at the end and the bathroom is across the hall.” Jim opened the door and flicked on the light, nodding for Maggie to walk past.

Maggie glanced around. It seemed like a standard room; beige carpet, navy blue comforter, bookcases stuffed with books and VHS tapes. News clippings were pinned to a cork-board above a desk by the window, and a small acoustic guitar sat in a stand. This was exactly what she expected.

Jim set down both of their bags. “It’s one night.” He kept repeating that like he was trying to reassure himself more than her.

A voice carried up to them from the foot of the stairs. “James Harper?”

“That would be dinner.”

* * * *

“Wait, so he came home with a turtle?” Maggie had a green bean on the end of her fork as she sat next to Jim at the dinner table and looked at Jenna and Annette Harper across from them.

“Yup. He stole the turtle right out of the tank and tried to keep it in the bathtub,” Annette said, smiling at her son.

“He deserved more than that school fish tank. The tub is much larger,” Jim said, eating some diced potatoes. “Besides, I was nine.”

“Oh! There’s the time Jim dyed his hair black.” Jenna ignored the glare she got from her brother.

“What?” Maggie glanced at Jim and then back to his family.

“It was a phase.” Jim drank down his water. “Mom, how’s work?”

“Don’t change the subject. I wanna hear more about your rebellious years.” Maggie smirked at Jim before she turned her attention back to Jenna.

“Let me go get some pictures,” Jenna said, getting up and disappearing from the kitchen.

“Oh, Jenna! Bring the whole album!” Annette smiled and ate a few bites before she observed her son and Maggie. “It’s not often we hear about Jim. Or that he brings girls over.”

Jim sighed, rubbing his face. He kept telling himself it was only one night. And yet this was probably the worst situation he could imagine. “Mom—“

Maggie cut him off. “We’re really just coworkers. But he’s probably the best boss I’ve had. And I’ve learned a great deal from him. He’s a really dedicated senior producer.” She was looking at him now instead of at Annette.

Jim glanced up at the kind words from Maggie, turning to her, but she was looking back at her plate and dissecting some of the chunk of casserole she was served.

“James, you can’t come home again unless you have Maggie with you,” Annette said, smiling at her son and his guest.

James was about to respond when Jenna returned to the kitchen.

“Found it!” She came around the table and opened the album for Maggie.

“I definitely want copies of these,” Maggie said.


End file.
